


The Inventor, Scientist and Floor-Crawler

by BoxFullofCats



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Movieverse), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Avengers (2012), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Post-Avengers, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, Science Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-10 03:31:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/781269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoxFullofCats/pseuds/BoxFullofCats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“…Put him down, Banner,” Tony insisted. “JARVIS tell Bruce to put the little horror down.” </p><p>Drabble series. Unbeta'd</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PrinceSircastic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceSircastic/gifts).



* * *

"What have you done,” Bruce said, it wasn’t a question; it was rarely a questions these days. Taking his glasses off, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could feel the start of a headache begin right there. And it had a name.

Tony Stark.

“ _I_ didn’t do anything,” Tony stressed, pointing to his chest. “I was minding my own business when _he_ started to mess with my toys.” He ran a grease covered hand through his dark hair. Bruce made a mental note to have Tony take a shower before he came to bed (if he came to bed) later that night. He was not going to have the bedding covered in grease, again, especially if it was not going to be in a good way.

A giggle from the ground drew their attention to a toddler wearing a shirt more than several sizes too big for him.

“We’re going to have to find him some different clothes,” Bruce sighed and put his glasses in his shirt pocket.

Tony shook his head and moved in front of him, blocking his view. “Oh, no. No. No. **No.** I know that look.” He pointed at Bruce in the face. “That’s your sympathy look. That’s the look you got when you dragged me on that trip to that third world country last year.”

He gave him a leveled look. “That was a clinic in Brooklyn.”

“Doesn’t matter, you looked like you wanted to adopt every kid that crossed your path. You are not getting attached to him,” Tony waved at the little boy behind him. “We’ll change him back.” Tony spun around and went to a worktable. “Once he’s changed back you can wipe that look off your face.”

Bruce ignored Tony and picked up the little boy. He had a head of floppy brown hair and large smiling brown eyes. The scientist had to admit that Peter Parker made an adorable kid.

Tony was busy chatting with JARVIS, trying to determine what Peter had done, exactly, to de-age himself.

“Foo’. Eat,” Peter babbled.

“Even as a brat he’s a bottomless pit,” Tony grumbled as he looked at a screen with rapidly scrolling data.

Rolling his eyes, Bruce adjusted Peter on his hip. Peter put his fist in his mouth and started to drool all over it in a clear attempt to eat it. “I am going to get him something to eat, Tony.”

“Yeah, all right,” he replied and then looked up. “Wait, put the kid down. You’re going to get attached to him – I don’t know how many times I have to say that – if I can’t get him back to normal by the end of the day.”

“I am taking care of him, Tony. He needs to eat.” He paused and lifted Peter’s shirt up briefly. “We’re also going to need to find diapers for him.”

“See! Attachtment! Put him down, Banner,” Tony insisted. “JARVIS tell Bruce to put the little horror down.”

_“Dr. Banner, Mr. Stark is requesting that you place the child down. Also, I have arranged for a variety of diapers and other necessities that the young Mr. Parker may require. In the meantime there is some Jell-O pudding and crackers in the pantry that may be suitable for the child. ”_

Bruce smirked at Tony. “Thank you JARVIS.”

Tony glared at Bruce’s retreating form. Once the man was gone he turned back to the screen he had been at. “That was my pudding.”

_“I know, Mr. Stark.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a big fan of Superhusbands/Superfamily (MCU wise). However I do like Science Bros/Science Boyfriends. And last night as I was falling asleep I thought up this little drabble.
> 
> I may add on more to this, but it won't be regularly updated. Probably only when I am blocked while writing something else. Reviews and kudos appreciated, as always.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Tony have something very interesting to explain to Aunt May.

 

* * *

May Parker’s hand stirred her tea, she had probably put in far too much sugar but at the moment she didn’t really care. The tea was actually the furthest thing on her mind, even though she held the mug in her hand. What she was focused on was the two men before her and the little boy on the floor chewing on the head of an action figure.

After feeling that she had stalled long enough she repeated her question again, just in case she heard it wrong. “You’re telling me that the little boy right there,” she gestured to him, “is my nephew, Peter?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Mr. Stark replied. He had asked her to call him Tony but she still thought this was a big joke and had refrained from doing so. Though she had to admit the little boy did bare a remarkable resemblance to her nephew when he was that age.

“And Peter also happens to be Spider-Man?”

“Yup.”

She took a sip of her tea and then set it aside. “Well, I do have to say I found this joke very entertaining at first but I am over it. I can’t believe he roped his bosses into this.”

“That’s the thing,” Mr. Stark replied as he watched Dr. Banner pull a coin out of the boy’s hand. “He is Peter. This really is your nephew, there was an accident in the lab and –”

“Peter was hit with something or touched some experimental project of Tony’s and this,” he placed a hand gently on the toddler’s head, “is what happened.”

May pursed her lips before answering, “Was this before or after he became Spider-Man?”

Before Dr. Banner could answer the boy let out a squeal of “Unca!” and flung out an arm. Mr. Stark shouted, “Peter, no!” while Dr. Banner quickly stood up with a frantic look on his face as a boy jumped across the room. Next thing May knew the little boy was crawl on the wall over to a picture of her late husband while Dr. Banner tired to get him off the wall. _Tried to get him off the wall._

She sat in stunned silence as she watched the man convince the boy to return to ground. As Dr. Banner sat back down, the child firmly in his lap with his action figure back in his mouth, she looked the little boy over.

Unca is what Peter used to called Ben when he was toddler.

If this had been a joke Peter would not have cruel enough to teach a toddler what her late husband looked like, and have him act like that. Perhaps these men were telling the truth.

“That really is Peter,” May said with a shaky voice.

Dr. Banner nodded, “Yes, he is. We wanted to let you know what was going on and decided that keeping you in the dark about…everything would not be right.”

She held out her arms to little Peter and the doctor handed him over to her. A little laugh escaped her as Peter settle right in her lap. “How am I going to raise you all over again?”

“We’ll take care of that,” Mr. Stark replied and placed a hand on Dr. Banner’s knee. “We can’t let Peter live here on a permanent basis, unfortunately. As you can see from his little wall-crawler show he could easily be exposed. There is also the fact we’re not sure exactly how Peter took a drink from the Fountain of Youth. The factors are unknown and that means anything can happen.”

Dr. Banner placed his hand over the other man’s. ”We know it’s not fair but there is a risk that and enemy of Spider-Man’s could figure out what has happened to him. If he were to stay here you could both be lost if there was an attack, as you can imagine that is something we’d like to avoid.”

May was silent for a long while as she thought everything over. She looked down at Peter and he smiled up at her with a gapped tooth grin, his brown eyes twinkling with the mischief of a two-year old. She could imagine all the other possible reasons they weren’t telling her as to why they’d like to keep Peter with them.

“He’d live with us at Stark Tower, surrounded by the better than the best security system,” Mr. Stark assured her, “along with a few superheroes, of course.”

“You aren’t going to be separated from him, Mrs. Parker,” Dr. Banner added. “You could visit him, or he could visit you, whenever you’d like until we’re able to reverse him back to his proper age.”

She thought on it some more before answering, “As much as I’d like to have Peter stay here I am not as young as I once was. It sounds like you two have a plan to keep him safe and sound.” May took a deep breath and then coughed. “I also don’t envy you potty training him.”

She started to hand him to Mr. Stark, who held up his hands. “Sorry, I don’t like to be handed things.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce should have known better than to leave Tony in charge of Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter shirt is based off this one found [here](http://www.vixensandangels.com/kids-stuff/kids-shirts/babysitter-s-nightmare-alcohol-related-accident-lap-tee.html).

* * *

 

"Shit, shit, fuck," Tony’s litany of curses didn’t stop as he passed Thor in the hallway.

"Something wrong, Howardson?"

Tony stopped and turned around, looking up at the big Norse man-beast. It was still weird to see Thor walk around in normal, human attire. He was no longer sure if the Thor just didn’t understand that his surname wasn’t Howardson or if that the demi-god called him such just to annoy him.  


The inventor gave his head a little shake realizing he had spaced out. “Uh, yeah, you haven’t seen the little brat around?”

"Brat?" Thor asked. "Small child with brown hair wearing a red shirt stating he was an ‘alcoholic related accident,’ and has the ability to climb the walls with no aid?"

Tony snapped his fingers on his right hand and then point right at Thor, his left forefinger touched his nose. “Yes, yes, that’s exactly the right one. Bruce left me to watch him and I may have sort of…misplaced him.”

"Ah," Thor replied. "The answer is no then. Perhaps you should ask Clint. Or Jarvis."

Tony’s mouth twisted to the side. “Can’t ask Jarvis, don’t want him to tell Bruce. Clint is a good idea though.”

Without so much as a thank you Tony dashed off down the hall again.

Once Tony was out of sight Thor looked over his shoulder. “He is gone.”

A little fluffy mop of brown hair popped over the Thunder God’s shoulder, followed by a sweet little face. He looked up at Thor and smiled.

"You are a most expert hider, Peter," Thor smiled at the little boy clinging to his back. "Would you like to go to the park with Uncle Thor?" The little boy nodded his head enthusiastically and Thor laughed as he walked off towards the elevators, Peter still attached to his back thanks to his abilities, and went down to the streets below.

It wasn’t until after Tony had spoken to Clint (and Natasha and Steve and Selvig and even Pepper) that he realized that if Thor had not seen Peter how would he have known what he was wearing?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce felt they may have given the little boy nightmares from the few times they required his presence in the lab.

* * *

 

It had been an exhausting week. He and Tony had tried everything to get Peter back to his former age. They had poured over data Jarvis had recorded at the time of the accident. They had tried to recreate the incident in an enclosed environment to understand what happened. None of it worked. They spent late nights in the lab, Pepper or Foster’s assistant playing babysitter, trying everything and anything they could think of. Alas, the little wall-crawler was still a toddler.

Bruce felt they may have given the little boy nightmares from the few times they required his presence in the lab.

If tonight was any indication.

“ _Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner_ ,” the AI said in his ever calm voice as he roused them.

"Jarvis, no," Tony grumbled and hid his head under a pillow. It was not the first time they’d be awoken that night.

Bruce rolled his eyes and gave a Tony a little shove before swinging his legs out of their bed. “Yes, Jarvis?”

“ _Peter has awakened from another nightmare, sir. I am currently playing him some lullabies to help sooth him_.”

"Thank you," Bruce replied before grabbing his robe and putting it on.

Bruce had been able to talk Tony into converting a room in their apartment suite into a nursery for Peter. So it was just a short walk to their ward.

Peter was sniffling when Bruce entered his room, but mostly calm. “Hey Pete.”

Peter instantly sat up from where he was slumped on his bed. His little arms went up and he made grabby hands for the scientist. “Ba-ba!” It was what he called Bruce.

Bruce picked him up. “Got scared?” Peter buried his head into Bruce’s neck and nodded. “Want a sippy cup of warm milk?”

Another nod.

With the boy in his arms, he padded out to the kitchen. Bruce sat Peter on the counter while he went about getting him some almond milk. The little boy was more than content to watch Bruce get him his drink. His little feet dangling, flicking his toes in anticipation as he waited.

The sometimes rage monster patiently watched and wait as Peter drank his drink. His little toes flicked, eyes closed in enjoyment as he drank.

"We didn’t change your diaper, did we?"

"No," Peter replied when he was done.

Taking the empty cup Bruce put it in the sink and then gathered up the boy. He took Peter back to his room, changed him, and was starting to get him tucked in when Peter started to climb the wall. Literally.

"Peter," Bruce said in a firm, but kind, voice. "We’ve talked about this. Get off the wall, it’s time for bed." Peter shook his head. "I’m going to count to three, and if you’re not down here you won’t go for that helicopter ride tomorrow with Rhodey."

Again Peter shook his head. “No.” It was said with all the stubbornness and determination of any two year old.

It was then that Bruce saw the fear in the little boy’s eyes. Really, there could only be on logical explanation the tired scientist could come to. He was scared to go to sleep back in his bed. “You don’t want to sleep alone, do you?”

Again Peter shook his head. He scooted away from Bruce just a bit more, as if was he afraid the man was going to force him to get in the bed.

Coming up with a plan, Bruce held out his arms. “I promise you won’t have to sleep in here tonight. Just get off the wall.”

Peter studied his caregiver for a moment before deciding he could trust him and jumped into his arms. Together they left his room.

In the morning Rhodey strode into the couple’s apartment with a big grin on his face. “Uncle Rhodey’s here!”

Rhodey loved having the little boy around. Yeah, sure the kid called him “Odie”, and you’d think a de-aged teenager would have given the colonel pause, but really the whole situation was strange. Yet, for Rhodey at least, having a baby Spider-man was not as unusual as having two legendary figures in his phone contacts and two assassins he played cards with on a regular basis.

Plus, the kid adored him.

There was no answer when he entered and called out to Tony. Nothing.

Thankfully Tony had Jarvis. “ _I believe Mr. Stark is still sleeping, Colonel_.”

"Of course," Rhodey said, rolling his eyes. Figured Tony would sleep in and forget to get Peter ready the morning Rhodey was going to take him out.

With a huff Rhodey went to their bedroom, ready to scare Tony awake. The most sickeningly sweet sight greeted him however.

There, like an ad out of some family magazine, was Peter, who was curled up in Bruce’s arms. Around Bruce and Peter was Tony’s arm, holding them together all snuggly tight.

"I’ve got to take a picture of this," Rhodey chuckled quietly to himself, fishing his phone out from his back jean pocket.

“ _I’ve already sent you copies to your email, Colonel Rhodes_ ,” Jarvis replied at a reduced volume.


End file.
